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Henry Martyn Part 1 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 562 – January to March article cannot cover all this ground, only give a setting for the work of yet another Timeline outstanding Bible translator. Perhaps the 1759 Charles Simeon born most succinct summary is in the words of a Victorian footnote: 1760-1820 George III King of England 1761 William Carey born Henry Martyn, after taking, in 1776 American Independence 1801, the highest honours the 1781 Henry Martyn born University of Cambridge could 1789 French Revolution began bestow, entered the Church, and 1791 John Wesley died became Chaplain to the Hon. East 1792-1815 Napoleonic Wars India Company. He distinguished 1792 (Particular) Baptist Mission Society himself by his rapid acquirement 1792 Simeon at Trinity Church, Cambs. of the Sanscrit, translated the Common Prayer into the 1793 Carey in India Hindostanee, and performed 1795 London Missionary Society Divine Service publicly in that 1796 Jenner's first Vaccination language. From India he went to 1797 Henry Martyn at Cambridge Persia, and whilst there translated 1799 Church Missionary Society the Psalms and New Testament 1800 Cowper died. Regency begins. into the Persian tongue. His 1801 Union of Britain and Ireland powers of memory were said to 1804 British & Foreign Bible Society 1781 - 1813 be of the most extraordinary formed kind. He died of a decline brought 1805 Nelson at Trafalgar on, as was thought, by his zeal “Scholar Missionary”, Bible Translator, 1806 Henry Martyn in Calcutta, India and exertions to promote the 1807 John Newton died Living Epistle of Grace and Truth cause to which he had devoted his life.2 1809 Henry Martyn in Cawnpore, India 1810 American Missionary Society by C. P. Hallihan 200 years because of the frank record of 1811 Henry Martyn in Shiraz, Persia his spiritual experience and emotions in Cornwall to Cambridge 1812 Spencer Perceval assassinated Part I Diaries and Letters, second only to those 1813 Henry Martyn died, in Turkey of David Brainerd in spiritual impact and hen Henry Martyn was born in 1814 Hindoostanee Common Prayer Truro, Cornwall, 1781, John Wesley Prologue fruitfulness. Martyn also challenges us, WW published alongside Brainerd and M‘Cheyne, by the and John Newton were still alive, and the 1815 Persian NT published esearching material for the Quarterly sheer volume of work so devotedly and legacy of Samuel Walker’s mighty RRRecord and related projects on India, sacrificially accomplished in a poignantly ministry as curate of Truro was still a 1819 Hindoostanee NT published William Carey, Armenia, Afghanistan, the short life. There are abundant sources of power in Cornwall. John Martyn, Henry’s 1825 Persian Psalms published Persian Language, the Ottoman Empire, biographical material, from the work of father, had been an enthusiastic member 1831 Trinitarian Bible Society formed repeatedly brought one famous name to John Sargent, Martyn’s contemporary of Walker’s congregation, and on Walker’s 1834 William Carey died view – Henry Martyn. He has been and friend, to the more recent offering by death became associated with the 1836 Charles Simeon died beloved of the Lord’s people for nearly J. R. C. Martyn.1 A Quarterly Record Methodists. It is possible that young 16 17 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 562 – January to March reinforced through his sister’s faithful of Grace, what amazing things are testimony and urgings to read the Bible, wrought by our great God! Henry at last began to weigh with our scholar. “I Martyn is a man being prepared of God began to attend more diligently to the to make the definitive rendering of the words of our Saviour in the New Scriptures in two great languages. Testament, and to devour them with delight.”3 Brought to recognize the mercy At this same time Martyn became of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Henry associated with Charles Simeon, the Martyn was made a new creature. From celebrated evangelical Vicar of Trinity this time on all that brilliance of mind, Church, Cambridge. Through the driving nervous energy and industry, ministry, fellowship and friendship of tender vulnerability and loyalty, were this much used servant of God, Henry rendered unreservedly to Christ. “The Martyn became numbered amongst the work is real,” he recorded, “the whole ‘Simeonites’ and formed friendships in St. John's College, Cambridge current of my desires is altered, I am the Gospel that would endure walking quite another way.” throughout his travels and labours. He Classics, and entered the ministry of the also was introduced to members of the Church of England, serving as Simeon’s His perception of the Scriptures ‘Clapham Sect’, including William curate, or assistant. became deeper and richer, and on Wilberforce, and John Newton, who vacation in Cornwall at this time he gently reminded him that Satan would records, “For want of other books, I was not love him for what he was proposing To India obliged to read my Bible almost to do for Christ. Although in receipt harles Simeon was mightily concerned exclusively, and from this I derived great of the University’s highest with the new bright dawn of accolades, and a Fellow of his CC Truro, birthplace of Henry Martyn spirituality of mind compared with what I Missionary endeavour, and communicated had known before”. Though scorned by college, Martyn turned from this burden to many of the Simeonites, Henry heard John Wesley preach. From many for his ‘methodistical’ and Mathematics, Law and none more so than his new curate.5 At the his father, and famously from his younger ‘puritanical’ associations, Henry Martyn same time Henry Martyn fell under the sister, Henry was much reminded of the appears to have had a childlike delight in spiritual power of the diaries of David necessity of the Gospel and the the wholeness of his Father’s World: Brainerd. Brainerd had died at the age of solemnities of the world to come. His “Since I have known God in a saving 29, Martyn was to die aged 31. Both lived seemingly effortless proficiency in manner, painting, poetry and music4 have intensely, wrought mightily, and academic matters meant that he went up had charms unknown to me before”. esteemed themselves little. Both left in to St. John’s College, Cambridge, in 1797. their recorded soul’s exercise a testimony After one ‘false start’ he quickly attained In amongst this redeemed realisation that has moved Christians to devoted first place, carrying all before him. of the God of all the Earth was a love of Gospel service from their days to the language and languages which bore rich present time. Outwardly moral, but unconverted, he fruit. Already at this time proficient in later looked upon this as a time of misery, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, he now First concerns for Martyn were when he was mastered by ambition and devoured Hindustani (Urdu), Bengali, towards China, but various combined worldly desires. In 1800 John Martyn Persian and Arabic, among others! When workings of Providence and family died. The realities of his father’s religion, natural gifts are subsumed under the rule Trinity Church, Cambridge necessities brought him to be appointed a 18 19 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Issue Number: 562 – January to March chaplain to the East India Company,6 He now had to endure the vagaries of where he should primarily minister to a sea journey, in the year of Trafalgar, the European community. Martyn’s vision from Portsmouth to Falmouth, to Cork, to Cork Henry Martyn’s extended far beyond that. The journey to Madeira, to Azores, to San Salvador, to Falmoth Voyage to India India was harrowing, and yet holy, in Cape Town, to Calcutta. This journey of 1805 - 1806 many ways. As to personal loss and nine months took almost twice the usual Azores severance, he recorded, “It is an awful, an time. Generally the company on the ship Madeira arduous thing to root out every affection was ungodly, and painful to the Calcutta for earthly things, so as to live only for Cambridge don, now become a Servant of another world”. Those affections Christ. However, the occasion for Gospel included his love for Lydia Grenfell, ministry, much good works and exploring San Salvador whom he had longed to wed, and of the linguistic opportunities among the probably still did to the end of his life. ship’s company was soundly grasped. A ship’s rigging Recovering from early seasickness compounded by love sickness, he busied himself with intense language study, his cabin being full of the necessary books. Somehow he also found time to be an Cape Town active chaplain, tutor, sick visitor, preventer of fights, ever vigilant Map representing Henry Martyn’s voyage to India evangelist and counsellor to crew and passengers alike. In Madeira he honed his conditions, climbed Table Mountain, and Establishment expectations of the new French pronunciation by reading met one of his own heroes of Cambridge chaplain were that he would administer sermons in that tongue to a critical days, Dr. Vanderkamp. He asked this conventional morality, carefully graded audience. In San Salvador he became pioneer worker amongst the African to suit the social standing of expatriate acquainted with a Portuguese university people, had he ever regretted his calling? congregations. His blunt sermons, graduate, and mingled his study of “I would not exchange my work for a making application of the Gospel Hindustani with Portuguese, kingdom”, was the smiling answer of this necessity to all without distinction, determinedly trying it out on his host’s gospel Elijah to the nervous Elisha about ruffled many fine feathers. Furthermore, family and servants. to take up a similar work. Arriving in he associated freely with ‘natives’ of India at last, in May 1806, he recorded every caste, tribe or tongue, ever striving Being taken by his new friend to visit the definitive cry of his soul, “Now let me to communicate in their languages, Carmelite and Franciscan monasteries, burn out for God!” apparently expecting that the Gospel Henry took opportunity to discuss the would bear fruit amongst such poor ones! doctrines of purgatory, papal supremacy In India and transubstantiation, in Latin and The Serampore Baptists delighted in Portuguese, with the friars.
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